Operas Inspired by War

Wozzeck

Composer:Alban BergLibretto: Based on the drama Woyzeck by Georg BüchnerYear: 1925The opera's main character, Wozzeck, is a common soldier who kills his mistress and himself after imaging that she has been unfaithful to him. This tragic story is an operatic take on the devastating effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and shell shock post World War I.

War Requiem

Composer: Benjamin BrittenLibretto: The text is a combination of traditional liturgical requiem text and poetry by Wilfred OwenYear: 1962Britten's War Requiem is a non-liturgical requiem that was written for the re-consecration of the Coventry Cathedral in England, which was destroyed in bombing raids in World War II. This musical work is a modern-day masterpiece that poignantly combines sacred text from the Catholic Mass for the Dead, and personal poetry by a soldier in World War I.

Glory Denied

Composer: Tom Cipullo Libretto: Based on the book by Tom PhilpottYear: 2007This opera tells the true story of Colonel Jim Thompson, who spends a decade as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He returns to America to find his country, and his family, changed beyond recognition.

Silent Night

Composer: Kevin PutsLibretto: Adapted by Mark Campbell from the screenplay Joyeux Noël by Christian Carion Year: 2011This opera tells the story of a truce that was made between enemy combatants on Christmas Eve 1914, during World War I. The troops exchanged provisions across enemy lines and agreed to a cease-fire to bury their fallen comrades properly on the eve of the holiday. This touching story poignantly highlights the shared humanity of the soldiers, all far from home.

Two Women

​Composer: Marco Tutino Libretto: Based on the Italian novel by Alberto Moravia Year: 2015This opera follows the story of a woman and her daughter in Italy during World War II. The two suffer unspeakable trauma that shows the horror of war in its stark, bleak reality.